Written Answers Wednesday 18 August 2010

Scottish Executive

Environment

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent supporting renewable energy research and development in each of the last three years.

Jim Mather: During the last three complete financial years, the Scottish Government has directly supported renewable energy research and development activity and the total amount spent is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


2007-08
£1,543,783


2008-09
£845,534


2009-10
£1,042,641



  This expenditure was principally made under the Wave And Tidal Energy Support Scheme (WATES), and has supported investment including Aquamarine, Wavegen and ScottishPower Renewables.

  A wide range of organisations receive financial support from the Scottish Government and provide additional investment in renewables research and development, including Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Carbon Trust.

  One example is the SE Wave And Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support (WATERS) scheme. On 6 July, this year, £13 million of support to five marine energy projects through the WATERS scheme was announced.

  This does not include support given indirectly via our Universities through organisations including the Scottish Funding Council and Research Councils UK.

Environment

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review and streamline publicly funded energy efficiency and environment performance advisory bodies.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has no current plans to review publicly funded energy efficiency and environmental performance advisory bodies. We are however planning as part of our approach to the Low Carbon Economy to develop a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of energy and resource efficiency advice to business.

Environment

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many publicly funded energy efficiency and environment performance advisory bodies exist, and whom each supports.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government funds both the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Carbon Trust, to provide energy efficiency support across all sectors. EST provide advice to householders and small businesses through the Energy Saving Scotland advice network, while the Carbon Trust support larger companies and the public sector.

  We also fund the Zero Waste Scotland programme which delivers a range of initiatives to help businesses, local authorities, consumers and the third sector to reduce waste, recycle more and use resources sustainably.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations and treatments have been carried out in the independent health care sector on behalf of NHS patients in each of the last 10 years.

Nicola Sturgeon: As described in the answer to question S3W-21983 on 27 March 2009 the information relating to the activity undertaken for NHS patients through independent hospitals is known to have been under-reported in the past. Since 2007 steps have been taken to improve the recording of this activity. Given these concerns with data quality, which go back a number of years, it is not possible to provide a meaningful trend from the centrally collected statistics.

  Table 1 shows the number of records received by ISD relating to discharges from independent acute hospitals. Table 2 shows the number of records received by ISD from the joint NHS/independent facility at the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre (SRTC) at Stracathro Hospital. The SRTC was established in January 2007 and was provided by the independent sector provider Netcare. This contract expired in January 2010 and the Centre is now managed by NHS Tayside.

  As the figures in table 1 demonstrate, interpretation of these figures should be made with caution given the considerable variation in the number of recorded discharges year on year.

  When this Government came to power we ceased direct central funding for independent sector activity. Prior to 2007 approximately £15 million per annum was provided from central funding to support independent sector activity in Scotland. In the latest year for which data is available (2008-09), approximately £10 million was spent by the NHS, compared to the £15+ million expenditure prior to 2006-07.

  Table 1. Inpatient and Day Case Discharges for NHS Patients treated in the Independent Sector1,2 Number of Cases Reported to ISD Scotland, Years Ending 31 March 2000-09

  

 
Year Ending 31 March


2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009


No. of discharges from independent acute hospitals2
237
58
511
527
872
1,158
1,410
1,620
1,031
2,285



  Table 2. Inpatient and Day Case Discharges from the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre at Stracathro Hospital1,2. Number of Cases Reported to ISD Scotland, Years Ending 31 March 2007-09

  

 
Year Ending 31 March


2007
2008
2009


No. of discharges
72
1,612
2,434



  Source: ISD Scotland SMR01. Date: June 2010.

  Notes:

  1. It is emphasised that the figures shown are based on incomplete returns. Submissions levels are believed to vary by location and over time. The figures are of limited use and should be treated with caution.

  2. The figures in table 1 exclude episodes of care delivered at the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre (SRTC) at Stracathro Hospital. SRTC was established in January 2007 and was provided by the independent sector provider Netcare. This contract expired in January 2010 and the Centre is now managed by NHS Tayside.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve early identification of individuals with atrial fibrillation.

Nicola Sturgeon: GPs are incentivised to improve the quality of healthcare through the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) which was introduced as part of the General Medical Services contract in 2004. Atrial fibrillation is one of the disease areas contained in the clinical domain of the QOF.

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) hospital microbiologists are employed and (b) vacancies there are for such posts in NHS Tayside, expressed as (i) headcount and (ii) whole-time equivalent.

Nicola Sturgeon: (a) Information on hospital microbiologists employed in NHS Scotland is not specifically held. However, information showing headcount and whole time equivalent for medical microbiology and virology staff in post is collected and published by NHS Services Scotland Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland. Latest data as at 30 September 2009 is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=HCHS%20by%20specialty_2009reva.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment..

  (b) Information on vacancies for hospital microbiologists in NHS Scotland is not specifically held. However, information on consultant vacancies for medical microbiology and virology is collected. Latest vacancies as at 30 September 2009 are available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Consultant_Vacancies_2009.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.